The impact of communication on consumer knowledge of environmentally sustainable apparel
Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management
ISSN: 1361-2026
Article publication date: 20 August 2021
Issue publication date: 13 July 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate consumer knowledge of environmentally sustainable apparel (ESA) and examine the impact of communication on consumer knowledge of ESA.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed a quantitative survey focused on Millennial and Generation Z consumers. Two communication methods, hangtags and product webpages, were involved. First, two instruments were established to measure consumers’ objective and subjective knowledge of ESA. Second, two questionnaires were developed to collect participants’ knowledge before and after reading hangtags or product webpages.
Findings
There were 385 useable responses. It was found that participants’ knowledge about waste and cotton production’s water issues was less than their knowledge of other subjects and did not increase after reading the related information on hangtags or webpages. Participants’ subjective knowledge was significantly higher than their objective knowledge after communication. The positive effects of communicating with consumers via hangtags and webpages on consumers’ subjective knowledge were confirmed. Additionally, the ESA information provided via hangtags was more effective than webpages in improving consumers’ objective knowledge.
Originality/value
This study makes up for the deficiency in the literature. It provides in-depth insights on consumers’ knowledge of ESA by investigating consumer knowledge before and after communication based on consumer knowledge structure. The textile and apparel industry can use this study’s findings to improve communication with consumers and aid in sustainable product distribution.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Hanesbrands Inc. for their funding which is used to deliver the questionnaires in this study.
Citation
Li, J. and Leonas, K.K. (2022), "The impact of communication on consumer knowledge of environmentally sustainable apparel", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 622-639. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-02-2021-0034
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited